ANIMALS took centre stage on Sunday and Monday at one of the oldest agricultural shows in the country.
The hugely popular annual Edenbridge and Oxted Show dates back to 1837 – the year Queen Victoria came to the throne.
As ever, many thousands converged on the Ardenrun showground in Lingfield for two days of entertainment on a massive scale, across an area the equivalent of ten Wembley Stadiums.
Although the heavy rain on Monday day kept numbers down, it was business as usual with a vast array of events to entertain and inform visitors.
More than 1,500 horses, ponies and donkeys took part in six competition rings.
Innumerable cattle, goats and sheep were also entered into various show classes.
Other attractions included a mule show, Polly's Parrots Show, the Amusing Sheep Show, ferret displays, floral exhibitions and – for the first time this year – an Owls R Us stand.
Perhaps the most eye-catching artistes were the motorbike display team the Bolddog Lings, who had previously wowed the judges on Britain's Got Talent.
Meanwhile a country sports area offered archery, fly fishing and clay shooting for visitors to try their hand at.
Aside from hundreds of trade stands there was also a children's cookery school, an historic vehicles section and TV chef Richard Fox presented a class on making tasty barbecue dishes.
Victoria Henley, one of the show's organisers, said: "There was so much to get through.
"The horse competitions started before the crowds came in and were still going when we left.
"The Bolddog Lings performed here two years ago and everyone loved them so much that we asked them back."
